As airlines seek to crack down on the rampant exploitation of emotional support animals to skirt pet cargo fees, one passenger shows there are other ways to cheat the system.
Flyertalk member UK Stages details what he observed at Newark Airport on a recent Sunday afternoon.
It was this past sunday afternoon, super bowl sunday, at terminal C Newark, gate 111. A pomeranian wearing a “service animal” vest pooped on the carpet in front of the boarding lanes. Nobody was in that immediate area because the flight was delayed. The human who was accompanying the “service animal” fled the scene, carrying the offending pooch away in a small bag without attempting a cleanup. A waiting passenger immediately got up and told the gate agent, who made a call, presumably to maintenance or facilities or whatever department one calls to report a feat of doggy derring doo.
It took a half hour for a cleaning crew to make the problem even worse, but that’s not the point of this post.
Instead, let’s talk about the “service animal” vest. You can buy those online, dress your dog in it, and get parade him or her onto the aircraft.
Thus, I cannot fault Delta for requiring paperwork even or service animals (versus emotional support animals).
Make no mistake, genuine service animals do not poop on the carpet.
CONCLUSION
There are few things ruder than the disgusting pet owners who do not clean up after their pets. Bad enough in a park or sidewalk, but in a carpeted airport gate? Just another reason why reforms are needed in the emotional support era.
Please ban all these animals except dogs for legally blind… anyone else who isn’t mentally stable to travel without and ESA – I don’t want them to be on my flight, they are potentially dangerous if they can go mental.
Can’t wait for March 1st on UA. I saw a few “emotional support” dogs (they were wearing vests saying emotional support animal) this weekend on my flight and while they were well behaved its clearly an abuse of the system.